Visa
Foreign citizens who are not citizens of an EU Member State always require a visa to enter the Federal Republic of Germany. However, there are exceptions: the EU has waived the visa requirement for citizens of certain countries for specific activities.
You can check whether you need a visa by viewing the list of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. There you will also find information about visa requirements and electronic application documents in a range of languages.
Visitors’ Visa
If you want to come to Germany as a visitor, you require a visitor's visa. You can apply for this at the German diplomatic mission in your country of residence.
Usually the person making the invitation needs to submit a letter of covenant. Evidence of valid travel insurance is also required. By submitting the letter of covenant the person making the invitation confirms that he/she will be liable for all costs that arise during your visit. For such visits to the District of Soest the letter of covenant is submitted to the citizens' service office. You can find the points of contact and further information here.
Long-term Stays
If you want to come to Germany permanently as opposed to temporarily, you also need to apply for the correct visa from the German diplomatic mission in the country in which you are resident. The application will then be checked by the diplomatic mission and the Aliens' Registration Authority of the District of Soest.
There are many reasons for wanting to permanently reside in Germany. These include family reunion with a spouse or taking up work in Germany. Because of the many different visa purposes you are advised to contact the German diplomatic mission before applying for the visa. This means you can get advice before you apply for your visa and the necessary documents and procedural steps can be explained to you.
